1st day of school for nearly 1 million students in NYC

NEW YORK -- Thursday was the first day of school in New York City Public Schools and nearly 1 million students in the nation's largest district.

Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks welcomed students back to PS 28 in Washington Heights.

A total of 915,000 students and 140,000 staff members are returning citywide, as the Department of Education opens 24 new school buildings with 11,000 new seats. Officials say 1,500 seats were opened for 3K and 4K , and everyone who applied by the deadline received an offer.

See NYC Public Schools full academic calendar for the 2024-2025 year here , including holidays and exams, plus information about meals and transportation.

New phonics-based curriculum, NYC Reads

Data from the DOE shows a 2.6% decrease in reading proficiency last year among students in grades three through eight. But the schools chancellor told CBS News New York the decrease had nothing to do with the new phonics-based curriculum he is pushing, called NYC Reads.

The literacy program was implemented in 15 community school districts last year, and it's being adopted by all districts this fall. Banks says although he believes the new curriculum will help many, it may be too late for older students.

"We haven't given up on those kids, and there are a number of supports we provide them. It's just that most of the focus has been on younger kids, because we're trying to plug the dam, if you will," he said in an interview with CBS News New York's Doug Williams.

NYC school rules for cellphones in classrooms

When it comes to banning cellphones in class , the mayor and chancellor say they are still working on a plan and observing what other districts, like Los Angeles , have done before moving ahead.

Hundreds of schools already have their own individual cellphone restrictions in place.

"There's about 500 schools now that have cellphone bans -- I was at one yesterday. The chancellor and Dr. Vasan, the commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, is going to put out a strong recommendation that all schools follow this," the mayor said Thursday morning.

The goal is for bans to be enforced as kids enter school, rather than adding to the long list of responsibilities for teachers.

See more of Chancellor Banks one-on-one interview with CBS News New York's Doug Williams here.